Come here Come near me
by Chii21
Summary: On her deathbed, Rebecca Maelstrom's mother asks her to live with her Father, who she has not seen in years. She decides to go, saying it's for the best, despite being completely against it. There, she settle's in very awkwardly as she tries to get used to her new life of luxury, with her father being a business man and Landlord, Lysander's brother being one of her father's clients
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Returning to him.

Rebecca Maelstrom has always been the girl with a strong mind. Guided by her mother, she grew up seeing the world as a place ruled by men. But through all that chaos, she saw chances of beauty..

Her mother was ill, and on her death bed, Ms. Gail— she had gone back to her maiden name after the divorce— pleaded to her only daughter to live with her father in his hometown of Amoris.

Rebecca wanted to fulfill her mother's wishes, but she hadn't seen her father in years. Since he did send money over to them occasionally for bills and taxes, the only thing she knew about him was that he was wealthy. This still made her worried as to how the two were to get along. The only thing to get her the least bit happier was that she would only have to stay for a short while since she would start University soon.

At the train station, Rebecca was escorted by Kentin. A boy she had grown up with, though she only saw him as her friend, he thought of her as a sweetheart.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asks shyly She takes a moment to respond. Everything in her wants to say "no". To leave her mother's bakery, leave the house she grew up in to live in a town that's not even on a map, with a man that she hasn't seen in years.

"It's what mother wanted, I can't disobey her dying wish." She finally responds before turning to get into the train cart.

"But is that what you want?" Kentin asks once more before she closes the door. But she was too late to answer, as the train began moving forward.

"Goodbye Kentin! I'll come visit." Are her last words.

The trip took around two hours, going over hills first, the scenery then shifted to buildings as tall as the oak trees Rebecca had seen next to the bakery. It gave her a bit of nostalgia, a gut wrenching feeling that made her sick. The only thing that she could think of was the dramatic sequence that had happened only a couple of days ago.

It was a week before her mother had passed. She was walking to church with another man named William. A gentleman she had come to know due to their connection with her oldest brother. They had first started talking about the day, small chit chat, but it soon changed to talk about love, then about marriage. Unexpectedly, he suddenly got down to one knee and proposed. Rebecca's face had turned red. Not because of sweetness, but of bitterness.

"Why do you believe such a thing. That I would wish to marry. And so soon too?" She had finally said.

"But, every time we ever talked, you would bring the idea of marriage. Back at that wedding reception, did it mean nothing to you when we danced?" He asked desperately. Rebecca could see that, too. How he stayed, knelt down, waiting for her to change her mind.

"I'm so very sorry Mr. William, but I'm afraid that I don't see you that way-" she was quickly cut off by his continuous speech.

"Is it that Kentin boy, then!?Is he who you're planning for!?" his voice was now cracking.

"Kentin -no! He is my friend, and only my friend, I could never think of him that way! Besides, I do believe that he sees me as close family."

"Lies. Lies, all of it!" With that, he had turned and left.

At the train station in Amoris, Rebecca notices a man in suit and top hat, a cane in his gloved hands, a beard hugging his chin. His face reminds her of her brothers, only older. That's when she comes to realize, that was him. The father she hadn't seen in years. He notices her too, with her awkward stance next to the train, and smiles. He lifts his hand to guide her where he stands. Though it's not needed, as their isn't that many people at the station anyway.

"Oh, Rebecca," he says while diving in to hug her, "it's been too long sweetheart." The hug was making her feel awkward. Before she let this continue any further, she pulls away, but still keeps a smile to not worry him.

"It has been long. How have you been father?" She tried for conversation. Her father continues, while wrapping her arm around his and beginning to walk.

"Oh, where to begin. Well, I can't say I had big adventures— like the ones you used to read—only but, uh... Just same old business. I lend houses and properties to others so that they may either live in it or make a business off the land that I lend to them. They give me what they owe, and you get to continue with your studies. Your aunt says you've been wanting to study politics." He says. Rebecca takes a moment, half admiring her father's dedication in knowing almost everything about her. But she also feels betrayed, that there were people talking about her behind her back.

"Well, yes. I've been thinking of Law school. There are many people I want to take care of. Also, to handle The legal matters for the bakery by myself." She says proudly. Her father does a small chuckle, before saying, in admiration, " Just like your mother, aren't ya. She wanted to handle things herself too. But I couldn't bear watching her do everything by herself. Still, she wouldn't let me, no matter how much I pleaded with her. So I won't do the same with you. I'll just be around to give you that push."

The two finally reach the carriage, a maroon color, with a mix of black and slightly dark brown horses. Her father opens the door do her, where inside are red velvet seats. She takes one side, while her father takes the side across from her.

"You know, when your mother and I got married, we rode in this same carriage. Of course, though, it used to be a more darker colors than this, but it made her so much more happier when the seats were changed." After he spoke, an awkward silence fell. Making things more uncomfortable for Rebecca.

When they arrived at the mansion, Rebecca took a moment to take in the house that she had once believed to be a castle. The front yard was large and opened. Nothing was in the middle of the lawn, so the sun really belated on the grass. The trees were off to the side, creating shade for the smaller servant quarters. The mansion itself was two stories plus the attic. Large, two-by-four windows were wrapped all around, and a large two sides door in the middle. The type of door people outside of France called "French doors". Small bushes were scattered here and there. She also noticed that most of them were losing color and flowers. She was sure there was servants who took care of them.

"I've had to leave a couple of workers, it's so hard to find good hardworking people." Her father says, while looking over at the bushes himself.

As they walk in, they are greeted by a maid, bright red hair, and a purple dress. She bows shy tilting her head down, then speaks.

"Welcome back master. Is this your daughter that you told me about?" As she speaks, Rebecca immediately recognizes her accent. An Irish why was taught some French. _It would be difficult, but it's a good thing I learned English._ She thinks to herself.

"Yes, this is my daughter Rebecca. _Rebecca, de rencontrer votre nouvelle femme de chambre, Iris._" (Rebecca, meet your new maid, Iris.) Her father says with pride.

"_Oh mon Dieu, mon Pére, je ne peux pas prendre une femme de ménage, Je ne l'ai jamais eu un avant, ce que je ferais avec un de toute façon?_" (Oh my, Father, I cannot take a maid. I've never had one before, what am I supposed to do with one anyways?) While they both argued in French, Iris decided to appease their anger with one another.

"_Ne vous inquiétez pas Mlle Rebecca, juste prétendre que je suis votre ami_." (Don't worry Miss Rebecca, just pretend I am your friend.) Afterwards, she gave her a sincere smile, that ended up calming the two. But it left a good impression on Rebecca especially.

Rebecca knew that this new arrangement of life would be difficult, but she was willing to go along with it. For the sake of her mother. Yet, she found herself wondering why her mother wanted her to live with her father. Of all people. She could've just as easily chosen to live with her Aunt and Uncle in England; moving in with one of her brothers— wherever it was that they were ported and living at nowadays— would have sufficed. No, with her Father.

**Well, if you've made it this far, thank you for reading. I had recently watched BBC's "North and South" and was inspired to write this fanfic. I know Lysander hasn't shown up yet, but believe me, he will. And when he does, that's when things will start to get juicy. As you may have noticed, there is a foreign language. It's French, I've gone through the trouble to translate it. If you are a native speaker, I'm sorry if it looks and sounds weird, I'm not fluent myself, so I had to go with the next best thing... Google Translate! Anyways, please enjoy, feedback is always welcome, and I'll probably see you in the next chapter. **

**"My Candy Love" doesn't belong to me, nor do the characters of said online game. **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Royce Brother's Fabrics

In the morning of Rebecca's first day in Amoris, she was woken up by a knocking at the door.

"Wake up Miss! Your Father would like you to join him for breakfast!" With that, the maid took her leave. _So it is real. _She thought to herself. _I'm stuck here... And mother is gone. _She got out of her bed slowly, wanting to take a few moments for her body to wake up. Afterwards, she puts on a white blouse with a vermilion skirt. Putting on her favorite knee high, Brown leather boots, she walk outside.

In the dining hall, she enters, surprised that it wasn't as huge as she remembered. Perhaps her memories were really all part of the imagination of what she thought her Father would look like.

"_Bonjour_." She says, passing her Father. He repeats her words while stabbing a sausage with his fork.

"How did you sleep last night?" He asks.

"It was fine. It brought back a lot of memories." In reality, though, she was only happy that he had remembered that she was more taller than how she was back when she was five.

She took her seat a little away from her Father's; as soon as she did, the maid from the day before, Iris, placed a plate with breakfast. Rebecca had always heard of the saying, "Eyes bigger than my stomach." She finally understood what it meant. Her Father, seeing her anxious expression, chuckled a bit.

"Don't worry, I don't think you'll have enough time to finish it all anyways."

"Why, what do you mean?" she asks.

"I wanted to show you one of the properties I own." he says, standing up.

On the day before, Rebecca had been too busy to tour the town. Now that she was out, she regretted it. The town had a thick fog over it, as the smell of smoke filled the air, the streets filled with people, too busy to do anything. She had believed that not many people came to the town —seeing the almost empty station gave her that conclusion— but seeing the inner workings of the town really threw her off.

They're carriage finally reached a factory with large pane windows completely dusty— most likely from the inside. They both got out and headed inside, where they found rows upon rows of women and young girls on the new sewing machines and a small group afar with needle and thread. While some made the sleeves, others made the bodice. At the far end— where there were girls with needle and thread— the girls sewed on the embroidery. There were different groups of that, too. One group sewed blue plastic jewels ont darker blouses, while others made more colorful patterns. Rebecca was mesmerized by the sound and the scent of smoke numbing her head. Thankfully, her Father tugged her arm, and wrapped it around his, getting her out of her daze. But that wasn't all that made her snap awake. A yelling from one of the embroidery groups catches her attention. A tall man, not much taller than her Father, with snow white hair that went a bit dark at the tips. His eyes were completely mismatched, but it still drew Rebecca in into his mysterious aura.

"What are you doing!?" He screamed out in English, "You're making the wrong pattern, again! Start over." He slapped the back of the girls head, then looked to one of the other girls who had been watching, and with the same language and volume, he yelled, "What are you looking at, get back to work."

Rebecca felt pity for the young girls, though there was nothing she could possibly do, as she was practically being dragged out of the workshop to the upstairs office.

It had seemed to Rebecca that there was only handsome men in the factory. The man sitting on the desk, much much older than herself and the man from downstairs. He had a different air about him, much more calm and more quiet.

"Welcome Mr. Maelstrom. Is it that time of the month again? It's come so early." He welcomed, then looked into his desk where an agenda sat.

"No, no. I only came for a visit, and to introduce you to my daughter," he pulled Rebecca's arm, "this is Rebecca. She's been off living in Le Mans with her mother for sometime."

"Oh? Don't mean to pry, but, this is your first wife's daughter? Correct?" He asked. _Monsiuer_ Maelstrom then gave the man a stern look, as if to be quiet about a certain thing. It was too late, either way. Rebecca already knew of her Fathers many "wives", but this was the first time she ever heard someone talk about it so openly.

"Uhh... Anywho, Rebecca, this is _Monsiuer_ _Leigh Royce_. He's the owner of this textile factory. He owns it with his younger brother, uhh, _Monsiuer Lysandre Royce_. I do believe we saw him downstairs earlier." Her Father said.

"Right, the one yelling to the innocent girl." She says matter-of-factly.

"I do believe you're misunderstanding something _Mademoiselle. _That worker back there, not only did she mess up the pattern, but she was also dozing off, thereby messing up the line and thereby tripping the whole system. It will back up the manufacturing process, and that girl would get fired, along with some other extra girls." He countered.

"That was still no reason to strike her. A scolding would've been fine alone." She said in a much louder voice than his.

"Well, Maelstrom, you've outdone yourself with this one, much younger t-" he was cut off as Mr. Maelstrom shushed him by clearing his throat. Rebecca looked over to her Father and glared at him.

"Actually," Leigh interrupted after chuckling, "this is his daughter, _Mademoiselle_ _Rebecca_." She did a slight curtsy, with glaring eyes.

"Rebecca, this is Leigh's brother, Lysandre. He owns the factory in a joint partnership." Her Father explains. She looks at the two men, trying to see if they really are related.

"Well, then, it was a pleasure to meet you both," she takes a glance over to Lysandre, "But if you don't mind, I have a busy day of unpacking." She walks past _Monsiuer Lysander_, who gives a slight smirk after she passes. Rebecca places her handkerchief over her mouth and nose, to not be mesmerized again. After passing through, she coughs a bit, her Father doing the same.

"Honestly, Father. How such a man can be your friend." She stomps down the steps towards their carriage.

"I'm sorry, Rebecca, how our trip turned very sour in an instant for you. How about we go for a treat before returning, there's a pub owner who owes me his rent for the month." He says laughing. Despite being cynical, she laughs along with him. And this time, instead of her Father putting her arm on his, she does it automatically, almost as if she has done this many times before. After noticing it, Rebecca's cheeks flush, but she continues with her arm around his.

"You know, it's men like him that make this world harder for us woman to live in." She says in a joking, but still spiteful way. They both laugh once more before getting inside the carriage.

At the window, though, Mr. Lysandre looks out towards the two. His eyes taking longer than normal to search for them. For you see, when the boy was little, his eye took a hot, dyed piece of cloth onto his now topaz eye. Though an admirable color, he is now blind in that eye.

"Brother, I know that look." His brother interrupts his thoughts.

"You have that face when you feel determined." His brother stood next to him. His eyes wandering around to find what he was gazing upon. When his eyes caught the Maelstrom carriage, he knew what was going on now, and he was worried.

"Don't even think about it Lysandre. She's the man's only daughter, you take that from him, he'll die instantly." He warned.

"Don't worry, you saw the way we talked, a young and ripe girl like that wouldn't care for a man like myself. We are too different." He says, a sad expression taking over his beautiful face.

"Ahh, but don't you remember the story of how the Sun, though different from the Moon, still loved that Moon." His brother responds, giving Lysandre a bit of encouragement.

"I thought you wanted me to give up?" He asks his brother, half jokingly. They both laugh, then look back to the carriage that was now too far to see anymore.

_My dear brother Thomas, _

_I have finally settled in at Amoris with Father. I don't know if you remember this, but the mansion is called "Maison de Sucrette". Father told me this is because the house used to belong to a duchess by the name of Madam Sucrette Taylor. I believe that this house belonged to her before the Revolution. _

_Father has been well, as far as I can tell. We still have our moments of awkward silence, but thankfully, Father is very enthusiastic. In those moments he comes to talk about mother. It seems, that despite their divorce and her death, he still loves her deeply. I can see that he sees her in me, as he constantly tries to please and keep me safe. Like with my education. The other day, while I was about to leave to find the school, Father stopped me in my steps. He said he wanted me to be tutored at the mansion. I'll agree with it, as long as he's happy. But it did take a while to find a tutor. The only one we were able to find, who can watch his tongue, is Monsiuer Nathaniel. An Englishman, I believe. I still haven't met him, but father says he's a brilliant young man. Possibly a prodigy. _

_My final report, the social life I'm trying to build for myself. So far, I've added one friend, and I've possibly gotten into bad terms with a business man. Iris, really my maid, is a darling. She's Irish, but speaks so well in French. Despite our different statuses, we still agreed to be friends. Now, my enemy. Well, he's the brother of one of Fathers tenants. He's so mysterious, and has been so disagreeable so far. _

_I must end my letter now, so far nothing else has happened. Please write me back. I want to hear about Spain and your wife._

_Best wishes,_

_Rebecca _

**Now, that's a bit long. Does anyone else have an english accent stuck in their mind? They're supposed to be French, but I make them seem English with their voices. Anyways, I know Lysander's name is spelled differently. No, this is not a spelling error, that's how it's really spelled. I mean, come on, he's French. As you saw at the end, little old Nathaniel is coming, and possibly in the most expected way ever. What things will he stir? **

**Thanks for reading this far and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. **

**My Candy Love does not belong to me or do the characters of said game.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Nathaniel the Tutor

_My Dearest Sister Rebecca,_

_Things are well here. Carmen and I are expecting our first baby. We still don't have possible names for the baby yet, but we've gotten pretty creative. I am glad you and Father are getting along swimmingly. And yes, I did know about the mansion. I have visited Father before, after all. And I am certain I've met Monsieur Lysandre. Please try to get along with him, he is one of Father's tenants. If he loses Monsieur Lysandre, Father won't be able to gain another. Best wishes to both of you._

_-Thomas _

_P.S Geoffrey and Carmen say bonjour _

Rebecca giggled after reading the last part. Her brothers had always been together. They were pulled to one another, despite their many fights. That's what made her sad, though. She lived her brothers dearly, but she always came to believe that she could never be part of their brotherly bond. It was something completely unbreakable, even by a woman. That's why she tried to at least be on the same level of intelligence as them. To be something like their equal. Though, she wasn't sure if she seemed that way anymore anymore.

When she arrived to her home, she saw a servant guiding a black horse to the stalls. She knew someone was here and she knew exactly who it might be. She hurried in, excitement filling her, she was going to meet the prodigy Monsieur Nathaniel. As she walked in, she heard two men speaking inside the study room. She recognized one of them as her Father. The other, she assumed to be the voice of the tutor. She straightened herself out, making sure nothing was out of place. Straightening her back, she stepped into the study. She smiled, smiled so wide. Genuinely, and sincerely happy. No. She was in love. It was love at first sight. His beautifully carved face and facial features. His blonde hair, and how it parted right above his right eye. His light blue suit, he looked so lean and strong. So handsome.

"Ahh, Rebecca, you're back." Her Father speaks first.

"Um," she squeaks out. She clears her throat, then tries once more.

"Thomas sent a letter. I had to get it from the post." She explains, then looks over to Monsieur Nathaniel., "Welcome Monsieur. We've been expecting you." She smiled earnestly once more.

"Oh, Rebecca, I hope you don't mind, but Monsieur Nathaniel said he has another student at this time, so the other one is coming here. We hoped you wouldn't mind." Her father explained to her.

"Oh, not at all. It's alright. I know you don't have much room in your schedule Monsieur." She responded, which then made her feel guilty. Knowing she was flirting with Nathaniel.

After a while of solving mathematical equations and discussing the Democratic system the Greeks had created, the sound of a horse was heard from the outside the door. Rebecca felt herself almost die when she saw who the new guest was. Looking out from the window, she saw Monsieur Lysandre on a white horse. He swiftly got off and strode up to the steps, while a servant grabbed hold of the reins. The next words to follow were from Nathaniel, which finally pushed Rebecca off her seat.

"Ah, my second student is here."

She would've been alright if Lysandre was only there for business affairs with her Father. At least then, he wouldn't stay so long. But she had to stay with him, in the same room, and speak with him.

"Ahh, Lysandre old boy! Come in, come in." Some step sounds are made, "Tell, me did something happen?"

"Oh, no. My tutor said he wanted to meet here, he said he had another student. It's been so long my since I've been here, I almost forgot this was your home."

Rebecca stiffened at the sound of his voice. A spine tingling feeling crawls on her, and she had hoped it was going to be a nice evening.

The evening came sooner than they had expected. After going through pages of mathematics and through philosophical arguments, Rebecca was now tired. Even in the schoolhouse she had gone to— and the Madam that had once taught her— she had never experienced such hard tasks in long hours. Monsieur Nathaniel was the first to leave. After a while of speaking to her Father, Monsieur Lysandre left as well.

"Oh! That's right." Her Father says after the two gentlemen had left.

"You mentioned something about your brother Thomas, did he send you a letter?" He asks. Rebecca nods and smiles.

"It's a reply to a letter I sent a while back. He says he's doing well in Spain, so there seems to be no use in worrying about him.'" Her Father smiles and chuckles, but it's soon followed by a long and loud coughing. Rebecca had seen this before with her Mother. First she coughed, then she would say...

"Oh, don't worry, must've caught a bug." Her Father laughs, but continues to have those awfully painful coughs. Rebecca was stiff, but after a moment of hesitation, she places her hand on his back, and begins to rub. While with the other, she hands him her handkerchief.

"Its alright Father, I'll get the doctor. Just go to your room and lie in bed." He does as he is told, and Rebecca goes and walks into the town.

The doctor's home was very peaceful, at least, that's what it seemed to look like for Rebecca. She goes up the steps, walking through a small front lawn with bushes of roses, now dying from the growing cold. She knocks three times before a young girl opens the door.

"Hello, I'm here to see Doctor Christian." She explains. The young girl opens the door wider, and steps aside. Rebecca is then greeted by a small living room. Walls decorated with yellow flower wallpapers. The sofa and chairs are a light creamy color. She takes a seat on one of the chairs, as the sofa is already taken by a family.

Soon, the door to one of the halls opens, and a familiar boy comes out. Rebecca holds her breath at the sight of him.

"Just keep using the same medicine, Lysandre. The itching should go away. But I do recommend not to scratch. It's unknown what it'll do to your already terrible sight."

"Thank you Doctor." He responds. After that, the doctor calls over the family, who are led by a small boy with a cane and a limp.

Right then, Lysandre notices Rebecca sitting on the chair.

"Are you ill?" He asks, a bit of worry hidden in his voice. She stands, and decides on how to answer him.

"No, it's Father, he has a really terrible cough. I got worried and decided to come here." She responds.

"I'll stay with you then." He replies, sitting on a chair next to the one she had been sitting in earlier.

"No need to. It's nothing urgent, but thank you for your concern." She tries to smile earnestly, but worries she's wasting her good smiles on the wrong man. He nods, and leaves. She wasn't sure, but she could've sworn that there was a bit of an aura of anger and disappointment.

That night, Rebecca had barely slept. The doctor had recommended some tea with lemon and honey, but it was hardly working. The only good thing that made her smile, was the thought of seeing her tutor again soon. Seeing the man she loved. Yet, despite her thoughts clinging onto Nathaniel, remnants of it returned to memories of Lysandre.

**Looking around the "My Candy Love" forum, I kept seeing that poor Lysandre gets no love. :*( **

**Oh well, I hope I complete the wishes of those Lysander fangirls. Stay strong ladies (and probably gentlemen) and enjoy the ones that are here. **

**My Candy Love doesn't belong to me, neither do the characters of before mentioned game. **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Picking the Suitor

"Father, please! There's no need to waste money on a party." Rebecca was arguing with her Father this morning. He had come to believe that he was dying soon, hence he wanted to find a fine young man for his daughter.

"Nonsense,if I am going to die, I want a suitable husband for you. Someone I can trust to take care of you." He says while patting her head. Rebecca giggles at his silliness and shakes her head a bit. Sighing, and giving up to her Father, she stands and heads towards the door.

"Fine, we'll have the party. But no more than 100 people, alright?" She asks, giving in. Her Father nods and lays his head back down. Meanwhile, she goes downstairs to meet with Iris. Right when she gets down the last step, she sees Iris preparing to leave.

"Iris?" She ask. Iris then turns her head in confusion, then smiles.

"Oh! Miss!" She says in English, "I was just heading to a friend's house." She explains, but as she's opening the door, Rebecca follows behind her.

"I'll come with, I want tower them." She says in enthusiasm. Iris nods and leads her out the door.

Half way down the block from the clothing factory, the two girls reach a small street made entirely of apartments. The buildings so tall they blocked any sort of sky. The streets were made of dirt, that somehow found its way into people's faces. Some of the people sitting outside in the streets she recognized from the factory. Such as: the girl who was yelled at and hit, a girl she had seen on a sewing machine, and another that she saw picking up the leftover pieces of fabric.

After passing many of the buildings, they finally got to one with red curtains. Iris knocked on the door and just as soon, the door flew open as a girl, in a baby blue dress with a pink ribbon over her brown hair, came out. She immediately smiled upon seeing Iris, but her eyes drew over to Rebecca.

"Don't worry, she's with me." Iris explained. The brunette nodded and let the two girls in.

Once inside, Rebecca felt— somehow— back home. The small rooms all connected together. No staircases, just roomy and halls. When the two girls took a seat at the kitchen table, the second tenant came out. A colored girl, with short hair— either that or, in a bun— came out of a room. She wore a light azure blue dress that exposed part of her cleavage. Upon seeing this, Rebecca became slightly embarrassed.

"Rebecca," Iris began, "this is Kimberly," she pointed to the colored girl, "and this is Melody." The brunette.

"Bonjour, I'm Rebecca Maelstrom." She says in her best English. The other girls laugh and giggle at her French accent, never thinking that she was the daughter of a powerful man.

"So this is the little French daughter of your Master, eh Iris.?" Kimberly asks. Iris nods, a smile of embarrassment filling her face.

"Shes prettier than how you described her." Melody comments as she brings out tea. After getting her fill, and hearing the girls chat about the factory and what that day had brought on, Rebecca asked what their jobs were.

"I'm in the embroidery group." Melody answers first, "Kim here helps in manufacturing. She mostly just folds the clothes and puts them in crates to go off to some store and some country."

"Embroidery sounds fascinating. But it also seems difficult." Rebecca responded. She then remembered the girl from the week before. Melody and Iris saw her expression, and knew they had to explain it to her.

"About Capucine, Melody, you said something had happened some time ago?" Iris began. Melody quickly caught on and responded, "Yes, it seems that she ended up sleeping on the job. Master Lysandre had to scare her into waking up."

"Oh please," scoffs Rebecca, "stop trying to justify his actions. He hit a woman, with a bad reason too."

"Miss Rebecca, I know you're not from here, but understand that things are different around here. If Capucine hadn't been woken up the way she was, we'd all be backed up n production and get fired. All because Master Lysandre didn't want to do the 'gentlemanly' thing." Kim ranted, she took a deep breath, then apologized.

"Kim is really sorry Miss. The factory isn't the best. In fact, no mill or factory is great. But we cope with it, Miss. It's our only way of survival." Melody added. Rebecca sympathized with the girl. She couldn't exactly empathize, though. Despite having once worked, it wasn't in the same harsh conditions.

"Do the Royce brothers do worse things... Like... Adultery-"

"Oh no! Miss! I'll admit, they are physically rough with us— when need be, of course— but nothing to those extremes." Melody explained in a panic.

"And if things ever do go that far, we all have the Women's union." Added Iris. Rebecca gave a confused look at the girls. She had heard of things such as a union, but people seemed to have different opinions about it, they all got mixed in their head.

"Poor Miss, where have they been keepin' you in Le Mans?" Kim laughed, the other girls joined in, including Rebecca, who was really just trying to laugh in order to not be embarrassed.

When Rebecca and Iris got back to the mansion, they were both surprised to see the place filled with cars. A big one that hit Rebecca was the liquor shop. Rebecca is 24, this is France, and almost her whole life, Rebecca had been surrounded by alcohol, so this was nothing new to her. in fact, it was more of a happy surprise. This way she would be able to fly through the night without a bump— or memory for that matter.

Inside, the two girls saw Monsieur Maelstrom, on his feet, and guiding the workers to where things should go.

"Ah! There you are Rebecca." He walked over to them, while Iris bowed and walked off to help the others.

"Now, you need to go upstairs, there are three dresses you can choose from. It's all your choice darling." He said, in a healthy and strong voice. He kisses her forehead and pushes her towards the stairs. In her room she sees the three dresses. All something she wouldn't find herself wearing. Why was the party even happening so soon? When she had agreed to it, she had expected the party to be planned for another week or month. That way, instead, her Father would end up changing her mind. Better yet, she would've been with Monsieur Nathaniel. She wondered if he was coming as well. She was sure he was a bachelor, so he must be.

After trying on all the dresses, she finally decided on one. It wasn't all that hard either way, she only picked the one that she thought Monsieur Nathaniel would like. Looking for her Father, she headed to the large room, probably a ballroom, where she knew the party was taking place.

Inside, she saw a couple of round tables around the room. While a small space was taken for the orchestra. A door on one of the walls lead to the parlor, she had never seen that door before. She finally found her Father on one of the tables, the invitations no where in sight.

"Father?" She asked walking over, "Where are the invitations?"

"Those things? Why no, I sent those things ages ago." He responded in laughter. Rebecca was stunned. She couldn't believe that this whole thing was planned behind her back. And all that father needed to do was get her okay in order to finish up the plans.

That night, Rebecca was wearing the blue velvet dress with a square neckline. It had embroidered beads from the hem up, decorated in flowers patterns, all shining silver. Tonight, she wore the stars. Her Father agreed so too. As the guests arrived, her Father became hesitant to let her arm go. She patted his arm that held her tightly, and smiled. He at least loosened his grip.

As she looked around, she saw the man she wanted to see: Nathaniel. But, just as she saw him, she saw another girl, her arm wrapped around his, and two others that followed. She could only stare as they walked past her. Now she was the one with the right grip.

Next, was a young girl with a much older man, she could only think of him as the girls brother or Father. After them, came a pair of twins. While one looked very sophisticated and with a military uniform, the other wore more brighter colors that his counterpart. M. Leigh, with a silver haired woman— maybe a sister?— around his arm, while M. Lysandre followed behind. He, had noticed her, and gave her a quick glance before entering the ballroom. She looked back, but looked away shyly. She couldn't understand why, though.

Finally, she saw two very familiar faces. Kentin and M. William. The two saw, and stopped to greet her; Kentin with his casual hello, but shied away from kissing her hand; M. William, who gladly took her hand, and looked into her eyes as he did so. She felt a shiver, as his eyes continued to linger on her as he walked off.

Her Father, thankfully not noticing the exchange of glances, wrapped her arm around his and led her to the ballroom

"You invited Kentin and William?" She asked her Father. Before her Father answered, he smiled over to some people, then looked over at her, "Yes, I thought if you had someone with you, you would feel much more comfortable." He answered. She could only nod, no point in mentioning what had happened the days before.

As they greeted the guests, and Rebecca danced with her suitors—in reality, that's all this formal party really was— she found herself glancing around through the room. Not exactly sure on what she was looking for, she believed she'd know once she saw it. And she did see it- see him. M. Nathaniel, in his charming suit, but with a woman around his arm. She looked somewhat like him, so she hoped the woman was his sister. She walked over, once she was freed from her dance partner. Right away, when he saw her, his gaze went to her eyes, and a smile filled his face.

"Mlle. Rebecca," he says while taking her hand and kissing the back of it, "I'd like you to meet my sister, Amber." He then turned to his sister, "Amber, this is Mlle. Rebecca, she's one of my students I told you about." Hopefully, soon, she wouldn't be just a student to him. Amber curtsied, but with an evil look in her eyes. Her friends mimicked Amber's moves The only thing Rebecca could do was just smile and curtsy.

"It is so generous that your Father invited us here. I'm sure this party is to celebrate your welcoming to Amoris." He said with exclamation. Such innocence, it was best not to say a thing of what this really was.

"Yes, I am really starting to like it here, but, M. Nathaniel, May I ask? What is going on at the Royce factory-"

"Oh, sweetheart!" Exclaimed Amber, "Darling, that's not really in our class to talk about commoners, especially English ones." She said the last bit more towards her friends. Rebecca became annoyed. And by the look of it, so was Nathaniel. He quickly grabbed Rebecca's arm and pulled her to the dance floor. They began a waltz.

"I am terribly-"

"It wasn't your-"

"My sister, Amber, she believes that anyone without a title or without French ancestry are not worthy of talking to her." He explained. It was ironic, since one of Amber's friend was Chinese—well, East Asian at least. Rebecca did a slight smile, one that could say she couldn't care less.

"Its fine, not the first time I hear a comment like that. Besides, Amber couldn't understand the girls even if she was in the smart 'class' as them." Rebecca commented. With this, it lightened up the mood between the two.

After a while of, really, just spinning, Nathaniel stopped and pulled her away. Her heartbeat began to race at the idea of where he could be taking her. But he was only taking her out of everyone else's way. He left, leaving a kiss on her cheek. It surprised her, but she quickly felt disappointment. Being by the champagne and wine, she took a small glassful and swallowed it down. She was twenty-four, it's okay to do this, even if she had to act like a lady.

"You sure you should be having all that?" She recognized that voice, and almost frozen at cheating him so close to her. She turned around to face him, still feeling nervous.

"It's my party." She stated. He only chuckled, who knows why, really. Even so, he reached his hand out to her. She hesitantly took his hand and was led away to the dance floor. He wasn't a terrible dancer, in fact, he was so gentle. Didn't pull her along, he only held her waist, guiding her on which direction to go. He watched her so carefully, making sure she wasn't uncomfortable. She didn't hate this, it felt nice to be held as if you were the most important person. No. He couldn't really think of her that way. After their first meeting, ending in a source note, she felt that he just couldn't think of her that way.

"You are... Slightly better than I had anticipated." She commented, he laughed, looking down for a moment.

"You're not so bad yourself. I had come to the conclusion that prissy girls that were raised in such a high social way wouldn't know how to dance."

"Oh please. I'm not you Monsieur." After she said such a thing, he stopped. She kept her smug face, which made him irritated.

"And what makes you think I come from such a high state of economic resource?" He asked, before letting go, and leaving. She stayed for a moment in between the dancers, but after a while, she realized he wasn't going to come back. She then decided to head back to the table with the drinks, taking another two glassfuls. She began conversations with the man and young girl she had seen a while before. They were married, and by the looks of it, it was arranged. But they seemed in love. A political man with an artist prodigy. They left sometime later, hearing one of their favorite songs.

That's when another one of the suitors came. Well, twins.

"Bonjour..." She tried to greet.. Obviously, neither seemed interested, until the one with the more colorful suit raised his hand and held it out. She took it, trying to be courteous. Leading her to the dance floor once more. Making her dizzy even more.

"I apologize for my brother. You see, he already has a lovely lady friend back home. He was dragged by our parents to come here."

"Oh. it's quite alright. I'm already interested in someone else. Ah, but, it's not like your presence here is useless or something. My Father and I are thankful that you could come." She said worryingly. He laughed slightly.

"My name is Alexy Dubois. My family owns three boutiques near Paris. But my brother, Armin, is in the military." He said, changing the subject. She couldn't find words to respond, so she only nodded. Making this awkward for her once more. He was different from Lysandre. His hands on her felt as if he had never touched a woman before. His virtue seemed pleasant, but it only made the dancing harder to bare with. Unexpectedly, though, she found herself looking around the room. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she hoped to find out whatever it was when she saw it. Suddenly, M. Alexy got close to her ear, and whispered, "He's by the violinist."

She snapped her head towards that direction, wondering who it might be. And she saw him, not Nathaniel, the one she was hoping she would end up seeing. It was Lysandre. He was looking at the violinist's music sheet behind them. Confused, she snapped her head back to M. Alexy.

"I wasn't looking- I mean... He isn't-" she said tripping over her words.

"Mlle. Rebecca, everyone saw you two dancing intimately. Plus..." He got close to her ear once more, "You passed M. Nathaniel, over by the exit." She looked over there, seeing M. Nathaniel talking with his sister. It seemed like a heated argument. Oh, how his sister annoyed her so much.

"He isn't completely inconspicuous, so it wouldn't have taken you a long time to look for him," he whispered, so as to not get any attention, "That is, if you rally to love him."

Rebecca and M. Alexy had ended their awkward dance, and once more, Rebecca went over to the champagne and got more glassfuls than she could count. She was becoming dizzy, but at least she was able to tolerate this party some more. Beginning to tip over, a hand caught her back. Turning to thank the person, she immediately stopped once she saw who it was. Monsieur William de Grataine. Her skin began to prick, their last encounter from weeks before coming back.

"I forgot to ask why you came here." She asked, in an angry tone and with slightly good elegance for someone being on the verge of being completely drunk.

"Just like everyone else. I was invited." He explained, and Rebecca couldn't believe a word of his. He then suddenly took her hand, and dragged her to the dance floor.

"So, you decide to not take me-"

"Please- William-"

"Saying simple minded things like you're not ready-"

"I _didn't_ plan-"

"What? You didn't plan for me to come? I didn't either, until I heard from your brother and Kentin—who I might add, is the only one who was invited—that you were having such a party to be introduced into this society-"

"I'm telling you! I didn't plan this out. My Father had planned this whole thing before I got here. I had no choice in the matter on who was being invited." She explained, almost in tears. He took a deep breath. His frustration still not gone, though.

"All these men own some sort of property or business... Does this mean your Father intends to have you married to a wealthy man?" He asked.

"I can only guess so." She said, calming down now.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of this. But in return, I want you to marry me, instead. I'm sure if your Father hears that you're in love with me, someone who might not be rich, but someone who loves you sincere- please, pay attention Rebecca." He said as she began to cover her ears and give a displeased look on her.

"Then don't continue!" She whispered loudly, "I am not going to be blackmailed into marrying. I'm not even planning on marrying any of these single... Rich... Men." She explained in anger.

"What about that... Monsieur Lysnadre? Everyone saw how close and intimate-"

"Oh please! Not you too. Look, there's nothing going on between me and any of these men! So please... Just... Lea-" she was unable to finish her sentence as she fainted right in his arms. Any other man might have taken advantage of that moment. But, considering there were a lot of people surrounding them—and the crowd grew as they saw Rebecca passed out—he decided to take her to her room.

Thankfully, Iris saw, and not wanting anything to happen to the young girl. She stopped him in his tracks, saying thank you, but I will handle it from here. He hesitated to give Rebecca to the servant, but not knowing where her bedroom was, there would be no point. Iris held Rebecca over her shoulder. Half dragging her to the room. And once again like with M. William, she was stopped by Lysandre.

"What happened?" He asked in a worried, English, tone.

"Oh, the Miss just had too much to drink 's all." She answered. He looked towards Rebecca's limp body with worried eyes.

"Here, I'll take her. Just tell me where her room is."

"I don't know, Master. She's a young and intoxicated girl, and you're a young man. I don't know if I can trust you." She hesitated. After a while of persuading her, Iris finally handed Rebecca over to M. Lysandre.

He walked towards her room, as directed by Iris. He was then called out by his brother.

"Lysandre! Where are you off?" He asked. Lysandre shushed his brother, turning to show the half conscious girl.

"Oh ho ho, Lysandre, you're moving fast." He commented. His brothers fiancee then elbowed him.

"Lysandre, think about what you're doing. I know you said you like this girl, but this is no way to win her affection." Rosalya consulted him. Lysandre scoffed, then explained what was happening. Halfway through his explanation, Rebecca woke up from her faint.

"Oh, hello there. Ah, I'm so tired, but..." She looked around, "What, where are my drinks? What's gong on?!" She asked, beginning to squirm in M. Lysandre's arms.

"Calm down... Calm down." He soothed in a whisper. He began to caress her cheek with his hand under her neck. She slowed down her breathing and relaxed.

"Right, just don't get caught." His brother said before turning to leave, Mlle. Rosalya following behind. M. Lysandre sighed, readjusted his hold on Rebecca, and continued.

Once reaching the room, he carefully opened the door and placed her down gently onto her bed. That's when it hit him. He was man, a man with many impulses. She was a young girl, intoxicated and half conscious. She wouldn't notice. No one would hear, with all the laughter, the talking, the music, and the scuffling of feet. There wasn't that many bathrooms in this floor. No one would come or hear. He leaned over her, getting so close to her face. If he leaned any closer, he could rest his lips on hers. But he looked over her once more. Practically sleeping now, so innocent. Taking something so precious from her, she would never forgive him. He would never forgive himself. He loved her, but he had to win her affections in a more honest way. Not like this. And yet still, she was so close. So vulnerable. He leaned over her again, but instead, he went upwards from her lips, her forehead, no. It would only rouse her. Her hair? It was so long. Waist length brown. Naturally curly, but she would always twist it more curly in order to make it less long. Put it in a bun, or simply tie it up. Now, it was fanned out on her pillow. Still soft and thick. He leaned towards her hair, took a sniff, then pressed his lips on them.

He panicked, and snapped back up. Walking quietly but still quickly out of the room.

The next morning, Rebecca woke up, in her camisole, no longer in the gown she had worn yesterday. She took a moment to think. She had remembered drinking and dancing. But then, she blacked out. She woke up, for a bit, still unable to pay attention. She knew very well that she had been carried to her room. but someone had to change her. Maybe it was Iris. But, then, who was it that kissed her hair? She remembered very well that someone had been leaning over her. Then she had felt a pull on her scalp. No longer caring, she put on her robe,and walked down to the dining room, greeting her Father.

"Oh! Rebecca, so I'm guessing, now I will be seeing Lysandre more often?" He asked. Rebecca looked over to him, looking at a newspaper.

"Why would he continuously be coming back?" She asked. Her Father was the one to look confused now.

"Well, everyone saw you two being intimate and-"

"What? No, not you too. Father, I'm not interested in him." She stated, slightly angry. Her Father backed off, feeling guilty of her displeasure. She shook her head, still so upset with everyone's assumptions.


End file.
